Vietnamese Fresh Wrapper Spring Rolls

[n.cole]

Any opinions on the best in the city?

[smtucker]

I had a really nice roll at [of all places] the Porter Square Bookstore. It had a nice combination of veggies, a decent dipping sauce and one order included 3 rolls. Can't remember why I had to have something to eat so close to home, but it was a really pleasant surprise.

[chowho]

The spring rolls are pretty easy to make. The ingredients you can find at whole foods. Spring wrapper, lettuce, mint or cilantro, boiled shrimp or pork. As for fried egg rolls, try the ones at Elephant Walk.

-----
Elephant Walk
2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140

[barleywino]

are the fried rolls wrapped in the clear crackly rice paper?

[Wannabfoode]

sunrise cafe in dorchester lets you roll your own so you get exactly the balance that you want. tasty bbq pork on the plate

[teezeetoo]

second sunrise - also love their can chua and their chicken salad - great fresh spring rolls

[lexpatti]

take the T into Lowell - awesome ones everywhere - I love Pho 88, and SouthEast Asia:
http://www.pho88online.net/
http://www.foodventure.com/

you are talking about garden rolls right? not fried, fresh? (Goi Cuon - Garden Roll -Rice paper rolls filled with garden vegetables, herbs, and spiced pork or shrimp

)

-----
Pho 88
1270 Westford St, Lowell, MA 01851

[barleywino]

who has the best deepfried spring rolls with crackly rice-paper wrappers?

[joebloe]

The best one is at Pho#1 which is filled with marinated chargrilled meat inside and shrimp on the outside just under the wrapper. Spring rolls are the easiest thing to make so just make it yourself by putting whatever you like in it.

I've yet to see in MA a restaurant deepfried eggroll using these clear crackly spring roll wrappers. Even in Cali you see them at a selected few VNmese restaurants.

[barleywino]

yes i used to get them at Lemongrass (VNmese resto) in Seattle, not very common I guess

[n.cole]

Oh how I miss Lemongrass and the Tamarind Tree rolls at TT...

Thanks for the input everyone. I'm trying to find a place where I can special order quite a few for a party. The tofu rolls at the little spot next to the jewelry store on Washington St. are not bad, but are not the greatest either.
I would make them myself, but I won't have the time for chopping/prep.

[MeffaBabe]

Best avacado (when they have them) and shrimp spring rolls is 163 Vietnamese on 66 Harrison Ave Boston... best sandwiches also.

[nsenada]

Totally agree - their banh mi are the best I've found in Chinatown. I have had the fresh rolls, and they were great. Their vegetarian fried spring rolls are awesome - one of the few cases where I prefer a vegetarian option. You can really taste the deliciousness of the wood ears. I also want to try the deep fried pork dumplings.

[litchick]

No, but I can tell you the worst: House of Siam on Tremont. Runner Up: Le's (nee Pho Pasteur) in Harvard Sq. Both are full to the brim with lettuce and very little else. House of Siam has the temerity to charge you an arm and leg for it, too.

[marcreichman]

Have to disagree on the Le's, at least for the ones with charred pork inside. Quite tasty. Not to be confused with the drier shredded pork.

[litchick]

All I can tell you is that when I've ordered the basic fresh rolls over the last year, they've been 98% shredded lettuce.

[Allstonian]

Barmy and I shared an order this evening, and litchick is right - they were nothing but lettuce.

[another_adam]

I've had a very similar experience at Le's- actually, I remember it as 98% bean sprouts, but maybe it was lettuce! Completely bland and disappointing, and it actually made me appreciate that the ones from the Goosebeary's truck at MIT aren't nearly as bad as that. (I generally hate Goosebeary's, but this is one of the two things I'll tolerate from them)

[kobuta]

One of the most disgusting things I ever "ate" (I only had two bites and had to throw it out) was from Goosebeary's. *shudders* Not everything is that bad, but their food seems to range from mediocre at best to downright awful. The lines there boggle my mind.

I actually had fresh rolls from Xinh Xinh the other day that were marvelous. Heavy on lettuce still, but the grilled pork that was in them were flavored quite well, so that with each bite you still got a decent taste of that roasted, grilled meat taste.

-----
Xinh Xinh
7 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

[UzbekiFoodie]

I also enjoy them at Xinh Xinh. Very nicely wrapped.

-----
Xinh Xinh
7 Beach St, Boston, MA 02111

[meat inspector]

there is a real good place on dorchester av in savin hill. a block or 2 away from d bar heading away from boston.

[PatsMoose]

Worst are the ones at the Cheesecake factory. I should know better but I was desperate at the mall. They're a mess.